Celebrate with pizza this National Sourdough Bread Day in Kingston.

National Sourdough Bread Day occurs on April 1 and whilst it has become a supermarket staple for Westerners, the origin of sourdough lies in ancient Egypt's agricultural landscape.

Restauranteur Sami Wasif, born in Egypt opened Eco Kingston in October 2021, located next to the River Thames.

Sami has made a name for himself in South West London since the 90s with his popular pizzeria Eco in Clapham.

Opening in 1993, pizzeria Eco quickly became a popular landmark on Clapham High Street for its 'traditional' Anglo-Italian cuisine and was the first multi-award winning Anglo-Italian pizzeria in London.

Born in Beni Suef in Egypt, Sami grew up on the West Bank of the Nile River in a farming town and agricultural trade centre.

In a statement obtained by Nub News Sami recalled: "There was a strong connection to the land in Beni Suef.

"Everyone had a great understanding of the harvest and fermentation processes that brought our dinner to the table."

Sami's grandfather Gerges was well known by the local townspeople for producing and distributing the annual sourdough starter (or 'mother dough', as it was known) at the Spring Equinox.

The story of his grandfather never quite left Sami's mind. After graduating from university in Sudan, Sami traveled Europe and found himself hooked on authentic Italian pizza. But it wasn't until his move to London in 1976 that he learned the craft of pizza-making himself, and took over his first business in the 1980s: the iconic Pizzeria Franco.

If you want to give Sami's pizzas a try this National Sourdough Bread Day click here.